All Ears
by IA-001
Summary: After seeing Velvet being bullied by Cardin Winchester, Blake decides to take matters into her own hands; and in doing so, she comes to terms with who she is as a person and as a Faunus.
1. A Helping Hand

Cardin was far too tall to notice Gambol Shroud's tether slip ever-so-quietly around his foot; too heavy in his armor for everyone in the cafeteria to not notice him crashing to the ground, his food splattering and rolling in every direction; much too proud and arrogant keep himself from lashing out and asking what everyone was staring at.

Most of all, he was too embarrassed to stay in the cafeteria long, quickly grabbing his belongings in his dirty, food-stained arm and making a beeline to the nearest exit, several chuckles and whispers following him as he slammed through the doorway and into the hall, leaving several nearby students stunned.

Blake simply smiled to herself; she'd never seen his face so red.

 _Maybe_ _now_ _he'll show a bit of humility._

* * *

Velvet stopped walking suddenly, and as Blake slowed down, she could see the girl's hands shaking visibly at her sides.

 _Already?_ Blake steeled herself and looked around over the countless shoulders and heads crowding the hallway, searching for Beacon's resident manchild. The incident was only yesterday, Blake figured he'd still be licking his wounds in his dorm room or practicing in the sparring rooms to vent his petty frustrations.

When she saw no sign of Cardin Winchester, she returned her attention to the rabbit faunus a few feet ahead of her, watching her drooping ears quickly stand upright as the lithe girl suddenly bolted off.

 _Th_ _at's_ _not good._

Blake gave chase, her thoughts instantly jumping to the worst possible conclusions. She deftly wound her way through and around several students and even some teachers, cursing herself under her breath.

 _I didn't know rabbits were so damn fast! Skittish, sure… But!_

After chasing her through a few more short hallways and more than a few hairpin turns, Blake was forced to skid to a halt, her chest rising and falling quickly now as she did her best to regain her breath, staring straight ahead.

Velvet was standing before her with her back turned towards Blake, leaving her with no sight of her face or expression. All that greeted her view was her lithe form, long brown hair, and fluffy, drooped ears.

 _Did she know I was..?_

Blake's thought was cut off by motion ahead as Velvet turned to face her and Blake swore her heart stood still in that moment. Their eyes met, amber staring into hazel, and the thought died as immediately as it had arrived.

 _She did._

Velvet broke eye contact first, her ear twitching and folded slightly as she held onto her silence for a few moments longer, glancing to the ground then tentatively back at Blake, barely managing to reach her face before shying her gaze away once more.

Blake hadn't noticed before then, but in the tense moment of silence before either of them spoke, she could hear Velvet's heartbeat; a small, fast, almost uneven pitter patter. Her own heartbeat had returned to normal by now and Velvet was a fit girl, so hers should have as well; but no, it kept its rhythm - if anything it got faster.

 _Does she think I'll hurt her?_

Velvet was the first to break the quiet that surrounded them - or attempt to, anyway - her mouth opening for a split second before she closed it once again, softly biting her lip in frustration.

Blake raised her eyebrow slightly in her own attempt to further the 'conversation,' scanning Velvet's face for clues, doing her best to piece together why she had run away and what had her so on edge.

"Um... Why are you following me around so much?" Velvet asked nervously as she glanced over to the side, then back at Blake - never holding her gaze more than one or two seconds at a time.

Blake's eyebrows fell and furrowed. She didn't know she was such a bother; she only wanted to help. Up until now, she had always tried to hide her presence and do things covertly - it was how she was taught.

 _So much for that,_ she mused internally, rather humbled at the idea her ears could be beaten. _I could've sworn I could hear just as well as any rabbit..._

Regardless, she'd been asked a question, and Velvet deserved an answer.

"I saw him bully you; back in the cafeteria.".

"Oh - Cardin... " Velvet glanced to the side, her face equal parts relieved and troubled, her hands moving from her sides to grip at the strap for the box which hung at her hip, fidgeting with it. It was clear she was thinking about something, her eyes drifting over the floor.

After a moment, it seemed she had connected the dots. "So that was you…"

 _So I was a_ _nuisance_ _then..._

If she was bothering her so much by protecting her, by following her around, all she could do now was try to instill confidence in her, right?

"You shouldn't let him do that to you," Blake stated calmly, almost coldly, "Letting him grab your ears, I mean." Blake had seen enough of where this could lead if she didn't step in - Velvet didn't deserve any of it.

"I-!" Velvet reached out suddenly, her catching Blake off guard. Her hands stopped mid-way, however, hesitating before dropping back to her side and gripping the strap so tightly Blake could hear the fabric compress under the pressure.

Blake was more patient with her this time, letting Velvet calm herself before continuing. "I don't _let_ him do that... I'd _never_ let him." There was conviction in her voice - it was veiled, nervous, almost hidden, but it was there.

It reminded Blake of her time in the protests - back when she still thought words alone would work.

Blake's lips curved into a reserved smile; _at least there is still some fight left in her… Here I was thinking that rabbits were skittish._

"So how'd it happen then?" Blake prodded, crossing her arms as she stepped to the side, leaning her back against the wall, her eyes glancing over at Velvet, trained on her now furrowed expression.

If Velvet was as strong as her words let on, all she needed was a push.

 _I_ _c_ _an_ _do that at least._

Velvet's hands only tightened more around her weapon's strap, its owner falling silent once again. Her eyes fell back to the floor, staring at her feet as if they'd suddenly jump out and attack her at any moment.

Blake's smile faded along with any remaining sense of progress she thought she'd made.

 _And there it goes…_

Velvet closed her eyes and thought a moment. Blake simply watched her gather her thoughts before finally sighing, standing upright once more, about to speak before she heard Velvet take a sharp breath in.

Velvet's hands were shaking again.

Blake shrugged, not wanting to stress the poor girl any further. "Velvet, don't worry ab-"

"Well…" Velvet interrupted, her voice both soft and hesitant; nearly inaudible over the now pounding pitter patter of her heartbeat in Blake's ears.

* * *

Velvet's story started - innocently enough - with her first day at Beacon.

She spared no expense in explaining every single detail she loved about the school, from the 'cute uniforms' to the 'amazing weapons' and the 'even cooler people.' Her enthusiasm was positively contagious, bringing a smile to Blake's lips as she listened closely to the faunus recounting her first semester at Beacon in excruciating detail.

It was only after the lengthy rant about her team and how amazing they were that Velvet stopped to catch a proper breath.

"You talk so quickly when you're excited," Blake interjected as she chuckled slightly.

Velvet stopped, feeling her cheeks growing pink as she glanced to the side, then back at Blake with a small, shy smile, her hands clasped together in apology. "Sorry… I guess I get excited too easily…"

"It's fine - I'm not going anywhere." Blake smiled, leaning back into her chair, calmly folding one leg over the other.

They had decided early on in their conversation that a hallway probably wasn't the best place to discuss something so heavy, and made their way to the library. Classes had ended for the day, and they'd both sent messages to their teams letting them know they'd be 'be busy for a while', giving them plenty of time to talk. Both secretly hoped their partners wouldn't pry too much when they got back to their rooms.

"Oh, uhm… Thank you." Velvet meekly replied, catching Blake's attention once again.

"For what?" Another raised eyebrow.

"For what you've been doing for me… Most people either don't care about the faunus, or openly despise us." Her enthusiasm from just moments prior had all but disappeared, replaced with the timid, nervous Velvet once more. She held her hands together, fidgeting with her fingers, her ears drooping slightly, one falling slightly lower than the other.

"I'm not most people," Blake chuckled slightly, being reminded of Yang and her team, "Actually, _most_ people I've met here aren't that bad either." Blake shot her a reassuring smile, and was met with another light chuckle from the rabbit faunus.

"Oh, I know that now." Velvet smiled inwardly, her ears perking back up at Blake's response, her feet kicking back and forth slightly as she lowered them and leaned back in her chair, her hands on the armrests.

Blake couldn't deny she felt a pang of guilt upon seeing Velvet's joyful reaction - she was still wearing her bow, and despite speaking to a faunus who needed her support, she still couldn't bring herself to reveal her true nature. It felt like she was running away again.

 _She sees me as just another Human… But maybe that's for the best._

She knew it was an excuse, but it was all she could manage right now.

* * *

 _This is nice._ Velvet thought happily, enjoying her talk with her newfound friend.

For Velvet, it was a relief talking to someone like Blake, and soon enough she found herself almost reveling in her company. She wasn't nearly as loud or outgoing as her other teammates; she seemed more open than Fox, and spoke more eloquently than Yatsuhashi, not to mention she was definitely not as forward as Coco tended to be. Adore her as she may, Coco was almost always a… handful.

But no, Blake was different. She calmly listened to and understood her; she was even going out of her way to help her with her issues, despite their differences.

Velvet chuckled to herself under her breath. _I guess it's like she said, she really isn't 'most peo-'_

Her thoughts were cut short though as Blake repeated a question she must've missed the first time around.

"Pardon?" She inquired politely, her ears perking up once more as she turned towards Blake.

"So how'd the bullying start?" Blake repeated calmly, a quiet concern apparent in her voice. Her stare felt sharper now, and just like that, Velvet couldn't meet her eyes.

Velvet had never really talked about this before. Her hands squeezed each other tighter as she leaned forward in her seat, looking at the ground nervously before beginning - she knew Blake wouldn't rush her, so she took her time gathering her thoughts.

"Well… My first year went well enough, Me & Coco got paired up during the initiation." Velvet smiled at the memory, Blake could tell it meant a lot to her.

"She scared me at first, you know? The glasses especially... I may be a faunus but I couldn't see her eyes through them, I couldn't tell if what she thought of… well, me." she continued, smiling as she reminisced, her ears twitching at the word 'me.'

 _She does seem like the kind of girl to take charge…_ Blake thought to herself.

"After a bit, she must've figured out I was nervous, because she took them off for me, just to make me comfortable." Velvet raised her head and smiled at Blake, a grin wider and more earnest than those she'd seen her give any time before.

Blake didn't know the rest of Team CFVY as well as she knew Velvet now, but by the way Velvet stressed those words and the way she beamed while speaking them, she knew they meant something important. This was something Velvet treasured immensely.

"She almost never takes off her glasses, Blake; they're nearly as much a part of her as these ears are for me." Velvet explained, giving a slight glance upwards, her smile weakening slightly.

" _Oh._ " The more Velvet spoke of Coco, the more Blake found her thoughts drifting towards her own partner, Yang.

Velvet merely chuckled. "Yeah."

There was a slight pause in the conversation before Velvet continued once more. "She's like you - she doesn't think any less of me just because I'm a faunus." Blake smiled at that.

 _So that's where she gets her fight from, makes sense._

"During the initiation, she outright cursed out another team because of the names they were calling me; even challenged them to a fight." Blake let out a slight chuckle; reminded of her partner.

 _Yeah, definitely sounds like Yang._

"I just wish she could be there all the time, you know...?" Velvet's head dipped slightly, causing her bangs to hide her eyes, pulling her legs up and into herself again as she held her knees tightly. It was clear she was remembering something unpleasant, and whatever it was, it was a burden to watch. Blake's good mood faded at the sight, she had to stop herself from reaching out and placing a comforting hand on her knee.

She knew, however, that this was something Velvet needed to say on her own.

"Just over a month ago… Cardin and his team pulled me into an empty classroom. Coco wasn't around. They..." her voice was shaky, hesitant, unsure of so much; Blake swore she could hear it crack.

Then Velvet went silent, and remained that way far longer than Blake was comfortable with.

 _Should I even be telling her this? Blake will understand, right? But what if she gets angry and hurts him? Blake wouldn't do that! But she already tripped him once! She wouldn't hurt him though! Who cares if she hurts him, he deserves it!_

Her thoughts became a jumble in her head, she couldn't tell how long she remained lost in them, or when she had started crying. All she could feel were the wet tears staining her face and bringing her back to reality. She sniffled, doing her best to gather herself, to make herself stop crying, stop doubting this girl who'd reached out to her. The last thing she wanted to do was become an even bigger hassle for her.

She began to doubt herself and everything.

 _Blake doesn't need to deal with me, why would she? We're not even on the same team, I'm just creeping her out n-_

That thought never finished. Suddenly there was the slight pressure of a hand on her knee; accompanied by the sound of shuffling..

 _Oh great, I've scared her off…_ Velvet sniffled again.

But the hand remained, and soon enough Velvet's entire form was pushed to the side by another body sliding into the large library chair alongside her.

"B-Blake, y-" she was cut short.

"Shh."

Blake placed an arm around Velvet's back, resting her hand on her shoulder and rubbing it calmly back and forth, doing her best to comfort her. Her other hand moved forward as she turned to face the rabbit faunus, letting her palm rest on Velvet's now-clenched fist, her thumb gently massaging the back of her hand calmly.

 _She seems so small_ _…_

Velvet nearly seized up, her head rising out of her curled form and turning slightly towards Blake, who was now resting her head on her shoulder, holding her. She could feel the tears rise to her eyes once again, and with Blake's protection, she let them fall.

" _Thank you… So much, Blake._ " she managed between sobs, slowly leaning into her. She could feel Blake's bow press against her cheek now.

She hoped she wouldn't stain it.

" _Mm...It's okay..._ " Blake softly replied.

Blake held her for what seemed like an hour or more, rubbing her shoulder and hand softly, cradling her body into hers. This was not something she'd force out of her, Velvet would explain this, recover from this, on her own terms.

What she needed now was help with that; comfort, acceptance, and a pair of ears.

Blake had never really held or supported someone like this before, but she hoped she'd learned well. She'd always been the one being supported; held by her parents when the protests went bad, held by Adam when they had no food for sometimes days at a time, held by Yang and her team in celebration when they had done well in their team sparring midterm.

No, this was different.

 _It feels good to be the one doing the holding._

It was then that Blake realized Velvet's sniffling had subsided, and the rabbit faunus was now calmly leaning against her, her body shifting slightly with her soft breaths.

 _Did she… fall asleep?_

"Velv-"

"I'm awake." it was Velvet's turn to interrupt.

She remained still in Blake's arms, clearly in no rush to leave her comforting embrace. Blake was thankful that the Library seemed to be mostly empty - if Yang or anyone else caught her like this it may be hard to explain.

 _I'm here for Velvet._ She caught and reassured herself. _To hell with what anyone thinks._

"Should… I finish?" Velvet unexpectedly inquired, catching Blake off-guard once again. Her voice was strained now, as if it hurt her to speak. Blake thought a moment before responding.

"If you don't want to talk about it..." Blake trailed off, she knew how hard some feelings were to let out. She lifted her head slightly, her ears twitching underneath her bow, unbeknownst to Velvet.

 _I have no right to pry at Velvet's secrets, not without revealing my own._

"I want to talk about it, I _need_ to… It's just… hard." With that, Velvet pulled away slightly and took a deep breath, steeling herself. Blake could hear her heart more clearly now, and it had slowed considerably.

 _Seems she's ready._

Velvet started confidently, but before long Blake could hear the insecurity and fear in her voice.

"Cardin and his team pulled me into the Classroom… Dove locked the door and kept watch while Russel and Sky… they held me down." It almost hurt Blake more to hear Velvet speak with her strained voice than to hear the contents of her story.

 _Almost._

The mere thoughts Velvet's words brought to her mind made her feel ill, but for every ounce of rising worry and disgust she felt, she reminded herself: _Velvet must be feeling a hundred times worse right now._

Blake continued to hold her, as she told her story.

Velvet took another sharp breath in, and Blake could feel her hands shaking slightly in her own. "Cardin… I don't know how… but he got into Port's desk and…" Blake could see Velvet bite her lip, her eyes watery again.

"He did what, Velvet...?" Blake almost blurted out, barely containing her disgust as calmly she could muster - there was undeniable fear in her voice and a knot growing in her stomach. She could feel her heartbeat picking up, and could hardly imagine what Velvet must be feeling.

Blake knew all too well how far some people went with their anti-faunus rhetoric and actions - she'd been the target of many since she was a child - but still she found herself fuming at the story Velvet was telling her.

 _Thank Oum I'm not Yang…_

Velvet's story didn't just make her angry, it set her on edge, it brought back memories she thought she'd left behind. Too much of this resembled her experiences growing up too closely for comfort. She'd been hurt more than once in the protests, and she needed two hands to count the number of times it'd been serious.

"He took out the hole puncher, you know? One of those small little things..."

Velvet didn't finish the sentence before feeling Blake pull her body ever so slightly more into hers, her hand tightening around her own; shaking.


	2. Velvet

_**Author's Note 1: This Chapter has been extensively edited and expanded on as of 02/09/2016 thanks to feedback. If you've read it before then, I suggest you go through it again, as I'm really proud of the changes made and I think you will be too. They'll also be kinda important later on.**_

 _ **Without further ado, Enjoy!**_

* * *

"Blake?"

"Mm." Blake barely managed a reply.

"Blake, are you okay?" Velvet repeated nervously.

She stayed silent for what seemed like an eternity, worrying Velvet to no end. Up until now, Blake had seemed like the very pinnacle of composure, yet here she was, struggling, crumbling.

A deep breath. "I'm fine, go on."

Her hands were calmer now, their tremors mostly stilled, but between the slight crack in her voice and her intensified grip, Velvet could tell something was wrong. _Maybe that wasn't the best place to start. She must be thinking of the worst possible things right now..._

"Blake." Velvet moved one of her hands out from Blake's grip, tapping the backside of her hand to gain her attention.

"I'm fine, Velvet, keep go-"

"No, look."

Blake looked up tentatively, seeing that Velvet had folded one of her ears now, holding it in down front of her face as she tilted her head towards her friend, brushing some of her hair and fur out of the way to get expose an indent in her ear near its base.

"It's already almost fully healed, see? Fur and all. My aura did most of the work, actually."

It wasn't just an indent, it was a cut; an almost clean, small half circle was missing from her ear. Blake's heart sank when she inspected the grungy little scar, and she fell silent.

She'd seen and heard of far worse anti-Faunus crimes of course, but that was a ten years ago; this was now, this was a friend. _How could this still be happening at Beacon? Did the White Fang ever really even change anything? How was Cardin still around after… this?_

"Velvet, I..." Blake was stopped again, feeling Velvet's hand grip her own now.

"Blake, it's fine now. It's healed. It's in the past." Velvet lied and did her best to bring the corners of her lips up into a comforting smile, failing miserably. Blake could only nod in response as her eyes met Velvet's hazel stare, sensing Velvet's will to see this all through. It reminded herself why she was here in the first place: to help Velvet. _This isn't about me._

Velvet continued her story, and Blake listened intently. Velvet's smile became a little easier to fake with Blake's nod. _Yes, it was over, it was fine now, but when it happened..._

* * *

It was after a round of studying in the library that Velvet found herself cutting through one of Beacon's quieter wings to make it back to her dorm. It was later than she'd usually stay out, but with Glynda's Aura exam and Port having a test on the Biology of Grimm soon, she'd prefer being prepared - often the stubby old man would throw in questions based on topics found in next-level courses as bonus marks.

Currently, Velvet's record was 3-0 on answering them, making her more than a little bit proud of herself.

Making her way down the quiet hallway, Velvet turned a corner and came across Cardin Winchester, leaning on a nearby windowsill and looking out onto the courtyard, catching her off guard. She'd never taken him for a sightseer, and even if it was some secret hobby of his, there wasn't much to see in Beacon's empty, moonlit courtyard. _Odd._

The sight made her more than a little nervous - Cardin was known for being a delinquent, bullying others to get his way, skipping class, and worst of all, being none-too-kind to Faunus. She didn't want to be one for judging a book by it's cover, but it was hard not to when the book had such a 'welcoming' reputation.

Deciding quickly that she had no intention of staying to find out what the tall boy was doing there; Velvet instead opted to continue down the hallway towards the eventual safety of her dorm room, doing her best to distract herself with positive thoughts, most of which lead to her team - to Coco.

 _Coco probably needs these notes more than I do._ She chuckled nervously to herself, remembering her partner. She could study just fine for most subjects, but simply could not focus on anything that didn't grab her attention. _Fashion's one thing, Biology's another, I guess._

She snapped out of her thoughts as she noticed movement ahead of her; It was Dove Bronzewing, accompanied by Russel Thrush, both of them Cardin's teammates. _Maybe Cardin was waiting for them?_

Velvet would have kept thinking that, if it weren't for the footsteps behind her.

She promptly made a turn she wouldn't have usually made, her heart beating faster and faster as she transitioned into a slight jog. If they were just meeting, the two would continue down the hallway and meet up with their leader, and everything would be fine.

Fate had other things in mind for her, however, as Velvet quickly bumped into Sky Lark, the last member of Team CRDL, and staggered slightly backwards.

"S-Sorry…" Velvet bowed her head quickly and stepped to the side, hoping to pass him.

He stepped in to block her. "Hey there, Bunny. What're you doin' out so late?"

"I.. I was just studying. Can I _please_ get by?" She did her best to hide her nerves, watching him out of the corner of her eye as she averted her gaze to the side.

He scoffed at the notion, sending a chill down her spine.

Velvet did not like where this was going. Sure, she knew Cardin was Beacon's newest rich kid, a spoiled brat who had too much time and too much money to be entertained like any civilized person - but she'd never expected his team to be so much like him.

Realizing that Sky was not about to let her pass, she was about to turn around when she heard the footsteps behind her again. Cardin, Dove, and Russel had caught up to her, and she swore she could hear them chuckling amongst themselves.

She tried for one more pass, clutching her books tightly to her chest, but was only met with brute force as Russel shoved her back, causing her to drop all of her books, her papers scattering and littering the floor with notes.

The mess on the floor quickly became the least of her worries as she felt her back collide with Cardin's chest.

"Just let m- Mmph!"

Velvet's cry was silenced as soon as Cardin moved his calloused hand over her lips, his other arm circling under her arm and around her neck as she felt him begin to pull her through the hallway. She screamed into his hand, the taste salty and insipid against her lips; it made her want to throw up.

She pulled at his arm with her free hand, scratching him through his sleeve. She could hear him laugh against her ear as he slipped his hand from her mouth for a split second, replacing it under her arm to immobilize it as well, clamping his hand down on her lips once more.

She could feel both her Aura and vision fading as Cardin's arms crushed down on her throat, making it harder and harder to breathe. With her arms pinned and her breath being stolen from her, she kicked. She could see the rest of Team CRDL closing in around her, and in her desperation, did her best to land a flailing kick on one them, any of them.

There was an impact, and one of them staggered back. It must've caught Cardin by surprise as she felt his grip loosen for just a moment. She opened her eyes once more, to see that she had managed to deliver a sound blow to Russel's arm, earning a satisfying grunt of pain accomapnied by a quick "Ow, what the hell!?" from the boy.

 _Ha, serves you ri-_

Her inner celebration was cut short as Russel reached forward and landed a brutal jab to her abdomen, earning a dry cough from her lips, her vision going blurry for a moment and her eyes stinging. She could feel her Aura fading in and out now, and with Cardin's chokehold and Russel's blow to her midsection, it was getting harder and harder to maintain her defense.

It was then that she saw a door frame out of the corner of her eye; Cardin was likely pulling her into one of the empty classrooms, and Velvet knew she needed to get away. _Now._ Her arms were still being kept immobile above her head so she used all of her strength and did the only thing she could.

At the last moment, she lifted her flailing legs up to the edge of the door, managing to hook her ankles on its edge, stalling Cardin. She channeled all the energy she could into the muscles in her abdomen and legs, pulling on the frame as strongly as she could.

In a last ditch effort, she tried screaming again, but could quickly tell nobody could hear her. They were in Beacon's science wing and the classrooms and hallways were almost guaranteed to be vacant at this hour. Worst of all, even if someone was around she could tell she simply wasn't audible, Cardin was making sure of that.

So she did all she could to pull herself through the door, her ankles feeling as if they were going to snap under the pressure. All of her Aura was being focused on her ankles now, a slight hazel glow surrounding them as her Aura scraped against the all-too-sharp metal frame.

She'd quickly come to regret her decision.

"-aid get in here!" Cardin grunted, tightening his grip around her neck as he yanked her, hard.

Velvet's vision went black as Cardin tightened his arms around her neck with his abrupt motion, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in her throat. Velvet knew the pain instantly; what little Aura was left to protect her throat had faded and her pain was no longer dulled by its protective properties, she was defenseless.

The Aura that had formed around her ankles quickly followed suit, cracking and shattering against the pressure as Velvet felt the edge of the door cut through her stockings and into her ankle as her feet slipped from the only thing holding her from whatever it was Cardin had planned.

Soon there was weightlessness, vertigo, and an impact. Velvet opened her red, tear-stung eyes to see that Cardin had tossed her into the room, knocking her back into the podium at the front of the class. The impact had winded her, and Velvet held her hand on her neck as she coughed and wheezed, trying her best to regain her breath, remaining hunched over on the floor, still dazed, confused, and in pain.

"These stupid things just don't stop struggling, eh?" It was Sky, chuckling under his breath. Russel and Dove entered behind him, the latter nervously locking the door and peering through its window, keeping watch.

"Yeah, total _animals_." Russel chimed in. "Can you believe they have two sets?" He was likely speaking of her ears.

Velvet felt her heart sink into her stomach at the word; humans had twisted and molded it to mean something less, something lower than them.

 _So that's what this was about._

"I'm a person!" Velvet managed to cough out, leaning back on the podium as she forced herself up onto two feet, the base of her stockings soaking in the blood from the cuts to her ankles, her knees shaking visibly as she steadied herself. Her eyes were scanning the room now, looking for an escape route and finding only a small open window; too small for her to fit through.

She felt almost hopeless as Cardin stepped in between Russel and Sky, rubbing his arm in pain. She pressed her back into the podium, her hand finding the corner as she steadied herself, preparing for his next move.

She could feel her heart racing; she still had an way out, but she'd need to move fast.

"Damnit… I didn't know rabbits had claws - coulda sworn only the cats n' bears had those." He chuckled, as if to tell her that her efforts were in vain.

She clenched her teeth, if she was going to have any chance of getting a message out, she'd need to act now, before Cardin was on her again.

 _Or maybe that's just what I need._

Velvet gripped the edge of the podium behind her in her left hand.

"We've got a lot more than claws, Cardin." Velvet chided, dry tears on her cheeks, her lips morphing into a confident grin that was becoming harder and harder to fake by the second.

"Oh yeah? Let's see 'em then, freak!" He charged at her, fist clenched, raised, and ready to strike.

 _Oh thank Oum he's predictable._

Velvet quickly span to her left while holding onto the podium, bringing the full force of her right arm into it and knocking it directly into Cardin's path. Without the reaction time of a Faunus, Cardin failed to stop in time and his shins collided with the edge of the large wooden stand causing him to double over in pain.

 _One down._

Her eyes quickly scanned the room once more, Russel and Sky had been standing by Dove when their leader went down; now all three had rushed over to his side, asking him if he was alright and attempting to help him up.

 _Now's my chance._

It hurt to stand, the cuts on her ankles were bleeding still, soaking the soles of her stockings with blood; she needed to act now. She ambled as fast as she could to the first row of student seating, climbing the steps as fast as her condition would allow her, feeling the soles of her shoes squish with the blood from her ankles.

She pulled out her scroll and fumbled through the menu options, her hands shaking. She continued climbing to the right of the back row of seats to separate herself from Cardin and his team as much as possible. As she glanced back, she saw they were all on their feet now, climbing after her.

First Row.

She turned her attention back to her scroll; ' _ **Adele, Coco'**_ stood proudly at the top of her list of contacts, a star by her name.

She couldn't have pressed the name any faster or any harder, tears once more blurring her vision as she saw Cardin and his team closing in on her out of the corner of her eye. Relying now on muscle memory and quick fingers, she quickly typed out a message.

Second Row.

' _ **Help,'**_ was as far as she got before her fingers froze in fear **.** She had been pulled into the room backwards, and between the asphyxiation and sliced ankles, she'd never had a chance to see the room's number. Her eyes darted up from her scroll.

Third Row.

 _Shit._ Her eyes raced around the room, looking for any feature she could use to identify where she was; anything that could help Coco find her.

There was a glimmer out of the corner of her eye, a gold plated name tag stood on the corner of the desk beside the fallen podium. 'Port.'

Fourth Row. Only one left.

Her eyes and fingers returned swiftly to her scroll, adding what she could before Cardin and his team reached her.

' _ **Help, Port's Room, Science Wing.'**_

She hit send. For once, she was glad Coco had always teased her for typing long messages on her scroll. With something this short, she'd have to know something was wrong, right?

 _Right?_

She took a deep breath in an effort to regain her composure before turning her attention upwards once more. Sky and Dove were climbing over the desks in front of her while Cardin and Russel approached from the walkway and stairs respectively. She quickly turned to her side, closing her scroll and tossing it through the open window she'd seen earlier.

Velvet's heart stopped for a moment as the scroll hit the edge of the window twice before bouncing through it and falling on the grass outside. She almost let out a sigh of relief before being pushed to the ground and held down by Cardin; tears filled her eyes again, knowing what was coming next.

Cardin delivered a quick punch to her midsection, knocking the air out of her once more, bringing her to the ground and straddling her. She'd almost forgotten how much things could hurt without an Aura, and she let the tears fall.

"Frickin' _animals,_ the lot of 'em." He mumbled, looking up at Sky and Russel, tilting his head to order them over.

Velvet couldn't take anymore of his hate speech, she gathered what saliva she could in her mouth and spat at him. Cardin recoiled as soon as he felt the spit hit his cheek, and glared down at her furiously.

Velvet smirked weakly up at him.

 _You're going to pay for every single time you use that word, you monster._ She made a promise to herself then and there. _I won't give you the satisfaction o-_

Her thoughts were cut short as she could feel his fist hit her stomach again. Then again; each time more brutal than the last. She coughed out with each and every blow, and as she felt her vision growing darker, she could barely make out Cardin's taunts over the ringing in her head.

 _Coco…_

Coco was all she could think about at this point.

 _Did she get my message? Does she know something was wrong? Will she come for me?_

 _Will… I still be around when she gets here?_

The feeling of pressure on her body shifting drew her from her thoughts. At some point Sky and Russel must've grabbed her legs and arms, holding them down as Cardin got off her.

"Keep 'er there." He scoffed, rubbing his fist slightly. "I'll be right back." He left down the walkway and moved down the stairs, causing Velvet to lose sight of him.

Her heart pounded in her chest, she could hear him rustling through Port's desk over the mocking insults Russel and Sky were tossing at her. After a few more moments, she could hear Cardin climbing the stairs back up to her.

She could hear him laughing under his breath. "Heh, look what I found, boys."

Soon enough, he arrived back at her side, and Velvet looked up at him, her eyes going wide as she saw him holding a small, heavy duty hole puncher. He took in her expression, tears welling in her eyes and falling past her human ears on their way to the floor, her weak struggling likely sending some sick chill down his spine.

"Let's see just how real these things are, hm guys?"

He kneeled down, pressing his hand to her ear, flattening it against the ground. Velvet's heart nearly stopped then and there.

"N-No!" She struggled with renewed vigor, but Sky and Russel kept her pinned. "Pl… Please don't do this! Plea-!"

She was silenced by another punch to her gut, courtesy now of one Sky Lark. It was obvious now they were at least trying to keep the bruising hidden, but Cardin was having none of it. Not anymore. She did her best to wriggle her arms and legs free of Sky and Russel one more time, but by now she was far too weak to put up much resistance.

She felt the cold metal of the hole puncher press against her skin, slipping past its furry edge and onto the bare, exposed center of her ear.

 _I just have to last a little longer… Coco will be here soon… She has to be…_

She let out a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. She still had her head free, she still had a chance. She closed her eyes and thought. If there was anything a rabbit Faunus was proud of, it was their reflexes and their hearing. With her eyes closed she could easily hear Cardin's heavy breathing, the shift of his hands on the punch, Sky and Russel's heartbeats, and eventually, the click and metallic sound of the hole puncher in motion.

She quickly tilted her head away from Cardin, yanking her ear from underneath his heavy hand, the pain of having it pulled shooting through her scalp.

 _At least it'll hurt less than the hole pu-_

She had moved too late.

The pain of having her ear pulled was suddenly dwarfed by the feeling of the metal cylinder cutting into it, easily slicing through the cartilage and piercing its flesh. Her quick tweak of her head only worked against her, pulling the flesh and tearing it from the edge of her ear. Blood dripped from wound, quickly staining her brown fur, the hole punch now stained in red.

"AHHH!" Velvet's cry pierced the otherwise silent classroom. Her eyes dripped with moisture as her sobbing echoed out, bouncing from wall to wall and surely enough, back to her ears. Her tears fell across the sides of her face as she tried to roll over in pain - unable to, still pinned to the ground.

Cardin simply whistled in amazement.

"Well damn, I guess they _are_ real!" He declared proudly, feigning surprise. Sky and Russel joined him in laughing at their 'discovery', and soon enough even Dove joined in awkwardly, his laughter notably more stilted, almost forced.

Cardin's attention turned back to Velvet, her head turned to the side, her brown ear stained with blood. She was biting her lip now as her tears fell to the floor beneath her. He chuckled at the sight, reaching down and grabbing her ear once more.

"Heh, let's do one more, so we can tag her like the _animal_ sh-"

Velvet flinched, trying for her ear, quickly realizing her arms remained pinned even after the wound. She could only brace herself for the pain once more.

Suddenly, glass flew everywhere, the windows being pushed and blasted in by sustained gunfire. The bullets found their homes in the far wall, each and every bullet hole a smoking red. Sky and Russel had fallen to their sides now, shielding their heads as Velvet rolled onto her front. Cardin himself had turned in shock, falling on his rear as he shielded his head.

They were scared, understandably so, but Velvet knew that gunfire.

"HEY, ASSHOLES!" A confident female voice roared from outside as the hail of bullets ceased.

Her call was met with silence.

Team CRDL was too busy either whimpering or wetting themselves to respond, and Velvet took the chance to wobble to her feet, bracing herself against the student desk. She quickly shuffled her way over to the stairs, and was overcome with relief at the sight of the figure stepping in through the broken window frame, heels crushing the broken glass as she landed in the classroom.

"Coco!" Velvet cried out, tears running down her face, a smile stretching from cheek to cheek as she faltered down the stairs, limping with each step and stumbling at times.

She'd never been so happy to see her trademark beret and glasses.

* * *

"Velvet! I was so worried about yo-" Coco turned as soon as she heard her voice, but wasn't prepared for what she saw.

Velvet was limping over to her, the pain on her face only masked slightly by her relief. Her ear was folded downwards with its brown fur matted crimson, her stockings pulled and torn, her heels soaked in blood, and her clothes disheveled and creased.

Worst of all, her eyes were red and her cheeks were still wet - she'd been crying.

 _Somebody is fucking dead._

Coco stepped forward and quickly brought Velvet into a close hug, resting her head on her shoulder, smearing her cheek with blood. She held her there for a few moments, feeling her shaking in her arms, running her gloved hand down up and down along her back soothingly, whispering into her ear.

"It's okay Velvet… I'm here now… It's fine..." Coco urged, holding her body tightly against hers.

"I-... They… I didn't know if... " Velvet stammered, unable piece her words together.

"We'll talk later. Just stay behind me." Coco urged, letting her hands fall from Velvet's form to grip the handle of her minigun, its barrels still a heated orange, smoke rising from ends. She tightened her finger on the second trigger, causing the barrel to begin spinning.

"Mn." Velvet simply nodded, wiping her eyes and slipped behind her, knowing what was coming.

With a pull of the main trigger Coco filled the room with thunder once more, aiming squarely above the last row of student seating. She swung the barrel back and forth, evenly spraying the back of the room with bullets, ensuring that plenty splinters of wood rained down on Velvet's assailants.

Coco let go of the trigger, the barrel slowly spinning down as she allowed their situation sink in for a moment before calling out once more

"You _assholes_ have names?" More of a demand than a question.

"Holy… Put that thing away!" Russel cried out incredulously, now peeking over the student desk, only to be met with the sound of Coco's barrel spinning up again, and a cold stare.

"I asked a _fucking_ question." Coco stated plainly. She aimed her minigun between his eyes with its barrel still spinning, causing him to duck back down in rather quickly. Even without names, his mohawk gave him away, Coco knew him from class.

"R-Russel Thrush!" He shouted, his voice cracking. He was covering his head now, cowering behind the desk, his eyes drifting over to Cardin and Russel all the while, urging them to just give up as well.

"... Sky Lark." A deeper voice called out alongside an audible sigh, it's owner standing up to reveal himself, hands in the air. Russel quickly followed his lead, his hands up above his head as well.

"D-Dove Bronzewing!" A higher pitched voice called out. Dove hit his head on the desk as he stood up, also raising his hands above his head, earning a raised eyebrow from Coco.

 _Forever a follower._

Then there was silence, broken only by the continued whirling of Coco's minigun.

"Don't make me check how long your Aura lasts, Cardin." Coco threatened, fully intent on carrying through with it after seeing Velvet's wounds. She knew who the leader was already, but she needed to see him. She needed him to know he wouldn't be getting near Velvet with her around.

The team leader stood up slowly, mumbling something Coco couldn't quite hear under his breath that caused Velvet to freeze in place.

Coco's eyes narrowed at the bully, and Cardin raised his lanky arms into the air, hole punch still in hand. His eyes met Coco's through her glasses, staring her down for a moment before Coco tilted her head to the door and he turned away. "Let's get out of here guys, this ain't worth it." He urged his team down the stairs, Dove Bronzewing opening the door for them as they left one by one.

Coco remained silent as she 'guided' them out, imagining a target painted on each of their backs.

Cardin didn't seem to be interested in leaving quietly, however.

"Catch, you faunus freak..." Cardin tossed something over his shoulder as he turned towards the door. Coco wasn't about to let whatever Cardin threw get to her 'faunus freak', and caught it before it could reach her, holding it in a closed fist.

Deciding to remind Cardin of his place, Coco fired off a salvo at the floor beside him, shredding the wood and startling the bully.

"Keep walking, asshole." She repeated, earning a smirk from the bully as he shuffled through the door. It took everything Coco had to not fire on him then and there, but she knew it'd end badly if she did.

 _Besides, V's still watching._

Satisfied only once she couldn't hear Team CRDL's footsteps moving down the hallway, she let out a sigh and shook her minigun, pressing a button on the handle to convert it back into a small - if still a bit heavy - handbag. She turned to face Velvet and was met with her body crashing against hers, her small arms wrapping around her and pulling her close.

She could feel Velvet's body wrack itself with every sob she let free, and it tore her up inside. Coco pulled Velvet closer, her hand running up and down along her back as she whispered into her ear, the blood on both of their cheeks dry now.

"It's okay Velvet… I'm here now… They won't hurt you…" Coco urged, wanting nothing more than for Velvet to stop crying. "I promise I won't let them hurt you…"

It was then she realized that she was still holding whatever Cardin had thrown earlier. Feeling Velvet's head upon her shoulder, she reciprocated, holding her closely and opening her hand behind Velvet's back.

It was a simple hole punch, glistening red with blood.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note 2: I was - and still am - blown away by the response to All Ears, and I really hope this second chapter piques your interest as much as the first. As always, remember to leave a review if you can, it really helps!**_

 _ **Huge shoutout to my beta** **Mach56 for all his editing help - without him, this story would be a *lot* less impressive.**_


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